Abdominal supporting truss



Aug. 5, -1952 A. F. BALlsTRlERl ABDOMINAL SUPPORTING TRUS Filed Oct. l', 1951 Patented Aug. 5, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,605,762 Y v e .i ABDQMINAL SUPPORTING 'rRU'ss Antonino F. BalistrieriyLos Angeles, Calif. Application october 1,1951`,sei-ia1No.249,159 f '4 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in an provide for the wearer a more assuring hernia retention, body harness which can be worn day and night by the individual without any noticeable discomfort whatsoever.

The fear which is instilled into the minds of the wearers of faulty truss belts often cause nervousness, upset stomach and gastric disorders due to the fact that one never knows 'at what embarrassing moment a portion of the bowel is liable to slip past the rupture. For this reason such wearers of trusses are afraid to take exercise such as indulging in tennis, wrestling or calisthenics of'any sort. This of co-urse is not in accordance with general living habits and hernia stricken people being fearful that a Ibowel displacement may occur, refrain from indulging in such needed practices.

The product of the present invention is the achievement of a hernia victim and is based on experiments conducted over a long period of time. His experiments and inventive efforts have resulted in the creation of a body harness which meets the rigorous test required and will fulll the above and other requirements.

General and specific objects of the invention pertain to the creation of a hernia belt structure in which there is no pressure exerted in the spinal region of the belt due to a gapin the portion of the truss overlying that region; the creation of an abdominal supporting truss embodying a new and improved mode of operation of the several contingent parts; the creation, in combination with the body girdling portion of the device, of an improved pubic pad which is `so constructed and arranged that, as it is pressed in at a direction at right angle tothe torso, said pad not only has a compressing action but also has a simultaneous uplifting and consequent sustaining function for the rearranged bowel structure; the creation of a device of the kind described which embodies a new and improved mode of assembly of the combined parts; and the creation of a body truss which will overcome the hereinbefore mentioned disadvantages.

Other objects, advantages and features of invention will hereinafter appear.

Referring to the drawing wherein is shown a preferred embodiment of the invention as now reduced to practice,

12 Fig. 1 is a front eleva "on of the device in the extended condition, some portions 'thereof being broken away to contract the view.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view'looking at the front of the device as it would appear when applied to the body of the wearer. v

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary rear elevation of the central structure of the device as it would appear in wearing position.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentaryrbottom plan view of the front central structure of the device.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged section on line 5-5 of Fig.1. M

Fig. 6 is a section on theline (iQ-6 of Fig. 3.

Referring in detail to the drawing, the invention therein shown comprises a padded, nonelastic waistband member `1 which partially encircles the waist portion of the body, only that portionof said member whichv would normally overlie the spine being cut away as indicated by the numeral 8 inv order that no pressure be exerted on the spinal areaduring wear. 'I'he vertical edges of the member I at the sides of the gap 8 are indicated 9 and I0. v

The elimination of pressure upon the spine contributes greatly to the wearing comfort of the device and the avoidance'oli such pressure is one of the salient, novel features in the 'new combination provided.`

A belt member II (preferably elastic) has one of its ends secured at one side of the gap 8 to the waistband 'I by stitching I2; and a cooperatingv belt member I3 (preferably elastic) provided with a buckle I4 is attached by stitching I5 at the opposite side of the gap to a broad loop I 6 under which loosely passesmember II, loop I6 being stitched to said waistband by stitching I1.

Belt straps I8 are secured'to the waistband member I underneath which is fed the free end ofthe belt member II, and belt straps I9 are likewise provided for supporting the buckle end of the belt member I5, and if necessary one of the latter belt straps I 9 may be utilized for holding down the buckled end of the member I I.

An improved sponge rubber pad 20 is provided which is adapted to overlie the pubic region of the body, said pad being applied by means of snap fasteners 2I to the midlength portion of the body girdling memberl 1 as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Said pad has twin downwardly depending lobes 22 which overliev the lower portion of the pubic region at each side of the penis, said lobes downwardly increasing in the thickness of the sponge rubber to their lower ends as clearly shown in section in Fig. 5. A sanitary cover 23 surrounds said pad.

To the outer face of each lobe 22 and to the member 1 at points superjacent to said lobes are secured male fasteners 2d adapted to cooperate and snap into female fasteners 25 carried by the attached ends of the elastic groin straps 26, the opposite ends of the latter straps being adjustably securable in fasteners 21, of the suspender type, in turn, secured to the member 1, as for example, by stitching 28.l

Stabilizer 'beltstraps 29 are V*secured to the member 1 at one of the upper and lower corners thereof adjacent the gap 8 by stitching 3U in order to draw the corner portions of the member 1 nigh unto one another. Strap fasteners 3| are secured to the opposite corners of the meinber 1 at the opposite side of the gap by stitching 32 to co-operate with the loose ends of said straps 29 to secure the latter in a firmly held condition,

strap loops 33 being provided to hold down the loose ends of the -straps .29r afterthey have been fed'through their keepers 3l.V

In donning the device,assuming that the lpubic zol padis in place -on thebody girdling member i as shown in Fig. Y1 and that vthe groin straps 26 have their rear ends detached and pendantly hanging down from -the .pubic pad with the belt members H vand I3 unbuckled and with the stabilizer straps unfastened, the belt members Il and I3 are thereupon sufficiently loosened in their belt straps to rpermit stepping intothe belt and pulling it up Aover the hips, such enlarging of the belt as a, whole, by loosening said belt members,

beingnecessary in-order to pass thebelt upover .the hips. Y Y Y When the belt is in place on the body of the wearer the pubic pad is so adjusted that the lobes thereof are permitted tov overlie the'body at both sides of the urinal orifice, whether the ldevice is being worn by male or female. members il and l3-are joined by the buckle iii, thus narrowing the gap 48 in the back sufficiently to cause the pubic pad to compress the portion of the bowel thereunden After the member l i and I3 have been secured by the buckle I4 and tensioned to afford comfort in relation V,to the body girdling member 1., the stabilizer straps 29 are then secured in place. The final. step in applying the device consists in tensioning the groin straps 23 by drawing their rear end portions up through the buckles 21 to the required extent. As the groin straps are tigl'itened-theyv pull on the lobes 22 in a direction at a right angle to the length ci" the wearers body, thus compressing the pubic regio-n, aswell asgiving a simultaneous vupiift to the underlying part of the bowel, this action being more efficiently performed due to the gradual downward thickening -of the aforesaid lobes,

Owing to the fact that the girdling member 1 is padded on the inside as shown in section in Fig. 5,'and to the fact that the pubic pad is composed cf airioam rubber in the manner hereinbefore described, when the device is placed in its wearing position no discomfort is produced, and any break present in the abdominal wall is put under` a compression which prevents protrusion of the bowel.

Assuming that the'device, positioned as shown in Fig. 2, hasv been applied to the body of the wearer, and it is desired tolremove it, .the top and bottom stabilizer straps 29 .are unloosened from their fastenings 3l then the belt members l i and i3 are unbuckled from each other and are sufficiently loosened to .allow the vdevice to be dropped down and removedafter the manner of a pair of trousers. Y

Then the belt It will be observed that, with the device constructed in the manner that has been described, the elasticity of the members H and i3 will permit the ends 9 and It of the body girdling member 1 adjacent to the gap 8 to spread apart and compensate for flexing of the wearers body, thus maintaining the device in a comfortable wearing position at all times.

I claim:

1. In a device of the `kind described, a body girdling structure including a waistband having ends which terminate adjacent to opposite sides of the spinal column leaving a gap between said ends when the device is in wearing position, a belt loop secured to said waistband at one side of said gap, two co-operating belt members, one of said members having one of its ends secured to said belt loop and the other of said belt members having one of its ends secured to the outer face .of said waistband at the side oi said gap which is opposite to said belt loop, the latter belt member extending slidably through said loop, a buckle securedto the free end of one of said belt members, the unattached end portion of the other of said belt members being adjustably connectible with said buckle to draw theendsrof said waistband at opposite sides of said gap toward each other, a pad internally attached to that side of said waistband which is diametrically opposite to the aforesaid gap, Asaid pad having a pair of downwardly extending lobes, one at each side of a notch to accommodate the urinal outlet of the wearers body, said lobes having a downwardly increasing thickness which imparts to the device a bowel compressing and supporting feature, Yand groin straps having upwardly directed front ends attached to said lobes and upwardly directed rear ends adjustably secured to said waistband at each side of said gap.

2. The subject matter of claim l and stabilizer straps fastened to upper and lower corner portions of Vone end of the body girdling member and co-operating'fasteners secured to the upper and lower corner portions'of the other end of saidbody girdling member into'which the free ends of said stabilizer straps are securable and by which said straps maybe tightened.

`3. In a device of the kind described,l a body girdling structure including a waistband having ends which terminate adjacent to opposite sides of the spinal column leaving a gap between said ends when the device is in wearing position, a belt loop secured to said waistband at one side of said gap, two (3o-operating belt strap members, oneof'said members having one of its ends secured to said belt loop and the other of said belt strap members having.' one of its ends secured to the outer face of said waistband at the side of said gap which is opposite to said belt loop, the latter belt strap member extending slidably through said loop, and a buckle secured to the free end of one of said belt strap members, the unattached end portion of the other of said belt strap members being adjustably connectible with said buckle to draw the ends of said waistband at Opposite sides of said gap toward each other.

4. The subject matter of claim 3 and said belt strap members, when the device is in its applied position, overlying each other at the rear of the device and occupying a zone less in width than the width of said body girdling structure, said zone extending along the midwidth portion of said body girdling structure, stabilizer straps fastened to upper and llower corner portions ofgone 5 end of the body girdlng member and co-operating fasteners secured to the upper and lower corner portions of the other end of said body girdling member into which the free ends of said stabilizer straps are securable and by which said 5 straps may be tightened, said stabilizer straps filling in the space overlying said body girdling structure above and below said zone.

ANTONINO F. BALISTRIERI.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,657,989 Boeke May 1, 1928 1,989,936 Le Cras Feb. 5, 1935 

